If the person you care for has Parkinson's, you may be surprised to discover the many ways the disease hampers communication. Voice problems alone affect 60%-80% of people with this condition. Low volume and slurred speech may make it hard at times for you to grasp...

What if your mother developed dementia? Are you legally entitled to make medical decisions for her? What if your father had a major accident? Do you know his treatment preferences? An advance directive provides answers. A directive is completed in "advance," when a...

Does your relative with dementia stay calm during the day but shift toward agitation as evening approaches? Are you noticing that in late afternoon they become anxious, confused, restless? Perhaps they pace the house or ask the same questions again and again. This...

This Father's Day, you may be among the millions of Americans who face the bittersweet reality of celebrating a father who is no longer alive. Holidays of this sort are especially poignant the first year after a death. Whether your father was a protector, a fun buddy,...

"When are we going out?" A reasonable question under normal circumstances. But if the person you care for has dementia, you may get this question multiple times in an hour. Aargh! Indeed, repetitive questions are one of the top irritants mentioned by family caregivers...

Financial abuse of elders is shockingly common. Research shows that annually about one in ten older adults in the United States reports abuse, and the true number is likely much higher. Financial abuse makes up the majority. It occurs when someone takes, uses, or...

Roughly 67% of adults over age seventy have hearing loss significant enough to warrant the use of hearing aids. But many elders resist the idea. Your loved one may believe there are no good options for correcting their hearing. In fact, there are more options than...

Initiating in-home help for a loved one sets up a big change. You know support is needed, you've reached out for help, and now you wonder, Are we ready? That's a good question! It's wise to do some up-front preparation. When possible, involve your relative in the...

Eating, dressing, getting in and out of a chair. In the course of daily life, we use many skills to accomplish even "simple" tasks. Walking or using a fork is surprisingly complex. Nerve signals and muscles have to coordinate in a very specific order. A healthy body...

The effects of dementia include changes to the way foods taste and smell. A person with Alzheimer's or other cognitive impairment may become unable to recognize foods or to know if they are hungry or full. Even the seemingly simple mechanics of fork and spoon or...

Is your relative no longer paying bills on time? Perhaps you've noticed an overdue utility bill, a missed insurance notice, a stack of unopened mail. These can add up to a lot of stress and late fees. But you don't have to take over everything all at once. There are...

Some stress is inevitable when caring for a loved one. But unrelenting stress is bad for everyone. Think of a candle. If you leave it lit 24/7, it will quickly burn through. But if you let it rest between periods of use, it will last a long time. You are like that...